Mechanical fasteners for use with surgical energy devices

ABSTRACT

A surgical system comprises an end effector including an ultrasonic blade and a capturing arm, wherein the capturing arm is movable to capture tissue against the ultrasonic blade. In addition, the surgical system includes a transducer configured to generate ultrasonic energy for transmission to the ultrasonic blade and a clamping member removably coupled to the end effector, the clamping member configured to clamp the captured tissue.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to surgical instruments and, in various embodiments, to surgical energy instruments such as, for example, radio frequency (RF) surgical instruments and Harmonic surgical instruments. In addition, the present invention relates to surgical cutting and fastening instruments that are designed to cut and fasten tissue.

In various open, endoscopic, and/or laparoscopic surgeries, for example, it may be desirable to coagulate, seal, and/or fuse tissue. One method of sealing tissue relies upon the application of energy, such as electrical energy, for example, to tissue captured or clamped within an end effector or an end-effector assembly of a surgical instrument in order to cause thermal effects within the tissue. Various mono-polar and bi-polar RF surgical instruments and Harmonic surgical instruments have been developed for such purposes. In general, the delivery of energy to captured tissue can elevate the temperature of the tissue and, as a result, the energy can at least partially denature proteins within the tissue. Such proteins, like collagen, for example, can be denatured into a proteinaceous amalgam that intermixes and fuses, or seals, together as the proteins renature. As the treated region heals over time, this biological seal may be reabsorbed by the body's wound healing process.

The foregoing discussion is intended only to illustrate various aspects of the related art and should not be taken as a disavowal of claim scope.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a generator and a surgical system usable therewith according to various embodiments herein;

FIG. 2 illustrates the surgical system of FIG. 1 according to various embodiments herein;

FIG. 3 illustrates an end effector of the surgical system of FIG. 1 in an open configuration according to various embodiments described herein;

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the end effector of FIG. 3 coupled to a clamping member according to various embodiments described herein;

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the end effector and the clamping member of FIG. 4 in a closed configuration according to various embodiments described herein;

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the end effector and the clamping member of FIG. 4 in a closed configuration with the clamping member melted according to various embodiments described herein;

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a surgical clip according to various embodiments described herein;

FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of an end effector coupled to a surgical clip in a partially closed configuration according to various embodiments described herein;

FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of a clip in an open configuration according to various embodiments described herein;

FIG. 10 illustrates cross sectional view of a surgical system according to various embodiments described herein;

FIG. 11 illustrates a perspective view of a surgical system according to various embodiments described herein;

FIG. 11A illustrates perspective view of a surgical system and a mesh according to various embodiments described herein;

FIG. 11B illustrates a perspective view of a surgical system and a tubular sealing member according to various embodiments described herein;

FIG. 12 illustrates a cross sectional view of a surgical system including a tubular member, a surgical blade, and a surgical clip according to various embodiments described herein;

FIG. 13 illustrates a perspective view of the tubular member and the surgical blade of the surgical system illustrated in FIG. 12 according to various embodiments described herein;

FIG. 14 illustrates a cross sectional view taken along the axis A-A of the surgical blade and the surgical clip illustrated in FIG. 12 according to various embodiments described herein;

FIG. 15 illustrates a cross sectional view of severed tissue captured by the surgical clip of FIG. 12 according to various embodiments described herein;

FIG. 16 illustrates perspective view of a surgical system including a surgical blade and a tubular member according to various embodiments described herein;

FIG. 17 illustrates perspective view of a surgical system including a mounting member according to various embodiments described herein;

FIG. 18 illustrates a perspective view of the surgical system of FIG. 17 further including two clips held by the mounting member according to various embodiments described herein; and

FIG. 19 illustrates a perspective view of a severed vessel clamped by the clips of FIG. 18 according to various embodiments described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Certain exemplary embodiments will now be described to provide an overall understanding of the principles of the structure, function, manufacture, and use of the devices and methods disclosed herein. One or more examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the devices and methods specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplary embodiments and that the scope of the various embodiments of the present invention is defined solely by the claims. The features illustrated or described in connection with one exemplary embodiment may be combined with the features of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Reference throughout the specification to “various embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “one embodiment,” or “an embodiment”, or the like, means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” “in one embodiment”, or “in an embodiment”, or the like, in places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Thus, the particular features, structures, or characteristics illustrated or described in connection with one embodiment may be combined, in whole or in part, with the features structures, or characteristics of one or more other embodiments without limitation. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

The terms “proximal” and “distal” are used herein with reference to a clinician manipulating the handle portion of the surgical instrument. The term “proximal” referring to the portion closest to the clinician and the term “distal” referring to the portion located away from the clinician. It will be further appreciated that, for convenience and clarity, spatial terms such as “vertical”, “horizontal”, “up”, and “down” may be used herein with respect to the drawings. However, surgical instruments are used in many orientations and positions, and these terms are not intended to be limiting and/or absolute.

Various exemplary devices and methods are provided for performing laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgical procedures. However, the person of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the various methods and devices disclosed herein can be used in numerous surgical procedures and applications including, for example, in connection with open surgical procedures. As the present Detailed Description proceeds, those of ordinary skill in the art will further appreciate that the various instruments disclosed herein can be inserted into a body in any way, such as through a natural orifice, through an incision or puncture hole formed in tissue, etc. The working portions or end effector portions of the instruments can be inserted directly into a patient's body or can be inserted through an access device that has a working channel through which the end effector and elongated shaft of a surgical instrument can be advanced.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a surgical system 100 comprising a generator 102 configurable for use with surgical devices. The generator 102 may be configurable for use with surgical devices of different types, including, for example, the ultrasonic surgical device 104. Although in the embodiment of FIG. 1 the generator 102 is shown separate from the surgical device 104, in certain embodiments the generator 102 may be formed integrally with either of the surgical device 104 to form a unitary surgical system. Examples of suitable generators are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/896,345, entitled “SURGICAL GENERATOR FOR ULTRASONIC AND ELECTROSURGICAL DEVICES”, filed Oct. 1, 2010, Now U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0087212 A1, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of an example ultrasonic device 104 that may be used for transection and/or sealing. The device 104 may comprise a hand piece 116 which may, in turn, comprise an ultrasonic transducer 114. The transducer 114 may be in electrical communication with the generator 102, for example, via a cable 122 (e.g., a multi-conductor cable). The transducer 114 may comprise piezoceramic elements, or other elements or components suitable for converting the electrical energy of a drive signal into mechanical vibrations. When activated by the generator 102, the ultrasonic transducer 114 may cause longitudinal vibration. The vibration may be transmitted through an instrument portion 124 of the device 104 (e.g., via a waveguide embedded in an outer sheath) to an end effector 126 of the instrument portion 124.

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of the end effector 126 of the example ultrasonic device 104. The end effector 126 may comprise a blade 151 that may be coupled to the ultrasonic transducer 114 via the wave guide (not shown). When driven by the transducer 114, the blade 151 may vibrate and, when brought into contact with tissue, may cut and/or coagulate the tissue, as described herein. According to various embodiments, and as illustrated in FIG. 3, the end effector 126 may also comprise a capturing arm 155 that may be configured for cooperative action with the blade 151 of the end effector 126. With the blade 151, the capturing arm 155 may comprise a set of jaws 140. The capturing arm 155 may be pivotally connected at a distal end of a shaft 153 of the instrument portion 124. The capturing arm 155 may include a capturing arm tissue pad 163, which may be formed from TEFLON® or other suitable low-friction material. The pad 163 may be mounted for cooperation with the blade 151, with pivotal movement of the capturing arm 155 positioning the clamp pad 163 in substantially parallel relationship to, and in contact with, the blade 151. By this construction, a tissue bite to be clamped may be grasped between the tissue pad 163 and the blade 151. The tissue pad 163 may be provided with a sawtooth-like configuration including a plurality of axially spaced, proximally extending gripping teeth 161 to enhance the gripping of tissue in cooperation with the blade 151. The capturing arm 155 may transition from the open position shown in FIG. 3 to a closed position (with the capturing arm 155 in contact with or proximity to the blade 151) in any suitable manner. For example, the hand piece 116 may comprise a jaw closure trigger 138. When actuated by a clinician, the jaw closure trigger 138 may pivot the capturing arm 155 in any suitable manner.

The generator 102 may be activated to provide the drive signal to the transducer 114 in any suitable manner. For example, the generator 102 may comprise a foot switch coupled to the generator 102 via a footswitch cable 122 (FIG. 2). A clinician may activate the transducer 114, and thereby the transducer 114 and blade 151, by depressing the foot switch. In addition, or instead of the foot switch 120 some embodiments of the device 104 may utilize one or more switches such as, for example, switches 136 a-c which can be positioned on the hand piece 116 and, when activated, may cause the generator 102 to activate the transducer 114.

Referring to FIG. 4, the surgical system 100 may include a tissue clamping member or a clip 10 which can be removably positioned at a distal portion thereof. More particularly, the clip 10 may be removably positioned between the blade 151 and the capturing arm 155. The Clip 10 may include a plurality of clamping portions which can be coupled by a connecting member which in certain circumstances can be a resilient member. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the clip 10 may include a first clamping portion 12 and a second clamping portion 14 which may be connected by connecting member 16. In addition, the portions 12 and 14 may include free ends 18 and 20 which may be kept apart from each other, in an open configuration of the clip 10, by a biasing force exerted by the connecting member 16, as illustrated in FIG. 7. Furthermore, the clip 10 can be transitioned from the open configuration to a closed configuration by moving at least one of the free ends 18 and 20 relative to the other with sufficient force to overcome the biasing force of the biasing member 16 thereby bringing the clip 10 to the closed configuration illustrated in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 5, the first clamping portion 12 may include a cradle or a slot 22 which may extend longitudinally through an outer wall 24 of the portion 12. The slot 22 can be sized to receive at least a portion of the capturing arm 155 when the clip 10 is positioned between the capturing arm 155 and the blade 151. Similarly, the second clamping portion 14 may include a cradle or a slot 26 which may extend longitudinally through an outer wall 28 of the portion 14. The slot 26 can be sized to receive at least a portion of the blade 151 when the clip 10 is positioned between the capturing arm 155 and the blade 151. The slots 22 and 26 can be sized to allow the capturing arm 155 and the blade 151 to sit comfortably within the slots 22 and 26, respectively, and to provide sufficient clearance such that the clip 10 can be easily separated from the capturing arm 155 and the blade 155. Furthermore, the slots 22 and/or 26 may include slippage limiting features to limit, for example, forward slippage of the clip 10 relative to the end effector 126 when the end effector 126 is closed while the clip 10 is positioned between the capturing arm 155 and the blade 151. In addition, portions 12 and/or 14 may include a plurality of protrusions such as, for example, gripping teeth 25 which can be configured to limit tissue slippage when tissue is clamped between the portions 12 and 14.

Further to the above, referring again to FIG. 7, the clip 10 may include a locking mechanism 28 which may include interlocking members such as, for example, interlocking members 30 and 32 at the free ends 18 and 20 of the portions 12 and 14, respectively. Interlocking members 30 and 32 can be configured to snap into locking engagement when the clip 10 is moved to the closed configuration.

An operator of the surgical system 100 may assemble the system 100 to seal and/or cut tissue, for example, a blood vessel. As described above, the clip 10 can be positioned in the open configuration between the blade 151 and the capturing arm 155. The operator may then orient the end effector 126 to position the blood vessel between the clamping portions 12 and 14 of the clip 10. The operator may then actuate the capturing arm 155 to overcome the biasing force of the connecting member 16 and to move the portion 12 towards a closed configuration with the portion 14 of the clip 10. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the operator can actuate the capturing arm 155 to bring the clip into a reversible intermediate configuration just prior to the locking engagement between the interlocking members 30 and 32 which may allow the operator the freedom to reopen the clip 10 and repeat the actuation of the capturing arm 155 until an optimal clamping position around the blood vessel is determined before committing to locking the clip 10 in the closed configuration.

Upon determining an optimal clamping position around the blood vessel, an operator may actuate the capturing arm 155 to bring the interlocking members 30 and 32 into a locking engagement around the captured blood vessel. The blade 151 can be energized to melt through portions 12 and 14 of the clip 10 and to seal and/or cut through the blood vessel. Melted material from the clip 10 can enhance the seal by resolidifying around and/or through the sealed tissue. In certain embodiments, the energized blade 151 may also improve the locking engagement between the interlocking members 30 and 32 by, for example, melting at least portions of the interlocking members 30 and 32 and allowing them to resolidify while in locking engagement. In certain circumstances, the clip 10 may be comprised of a material with sufficiently rapid resolidification properties to avoid weakening the locking engagement between the interlocking member 30 and 32. Alternatively, the interlocking members 30 and 32 can be positioned such that the energized blade 151 may melt, or partially melt, some but not all of the interlocking members 30 and their corresponding interlocking members 32 thereby maintaining an intact locking engagement through out the melting process.

Further to the above, the energized blade 151 can be configured to fully cut through, for example, a blood vessel captured by the clip 10. Under such circumstances, the energized blade 151 may longitudinally sever the clip 10 into two distinct and separate clips 34 and 36, as illustrated in FIG. 6, wherein the clips 34 and 36 may hold opposite ends of the severed blood vessel, for example. Alternatively, the energized blade 151 can be configured to cut through the portions 12 and 14 of the closed clip 10 except the most distal regions which comprise the free ends 18 and 20 thereby maintaining a tether between the severed clips 34 and 36.

Referring primarily to FIG. 9, a clip 10′ may be utilized with the surgical system 100 in a similar fashion to the clip 10. Furthermore, the clip 10′ is similar to the clip 10 in many respects. For example, the clip 10′ may include a first clamping portion such as, for example, portion 12′ and a second clamping portion such as, for example, portion 14′ which can be coupled together at one end thereof by a connecting member such as, for example, connecting member 16′. Also similar to clip 10, the portions 12′ and 14′ of the clip 10′ may include free ends 18′ and 20′. In addition, the portions 12′ and 14′ may include flexible members such as, for example, living hinges 38 which can be positioned about the free ends 18′ and 20′, as illustrated in FIG. 9. In certain embodiments, the living hinges 38 can be more flexible than the remainder of the portions 12′ and 14′. Similar to clip 10, the energized blade 151 can be configured to cut through the portions 12′ and 14′ of the closed clip 10′ thereby severing the clip 10′ into two clips. The energized blade 151, however, can be configured to not sever the living hinges 38 by passing through the portions 12′ and 14′ proximal to the position of the living hinges 38 thereby allowing the living hinges 38 survive the melting process and serve as a flexible tether between the severed partial clips. Alternatively, the hinges 38 can be comprised of a material that does not melt upon exposure to the energized blade 151

Referring again to FIG. 9, the portions 12′ and 14′ of the clip 10′ may be configured to form a gap therebetween when the clip 10′ is in the closed configuration. In certain embodiments, at least one of the portions 12′ and 14′ may comprise a concave inner wall. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the portion 12′ may include a concave inner wall 54 and the portion 14′ may include a concave inner wall 56. A gap 52 may be formed between the concave walls 54 and 56 when the clip 10′ is in the closed configuration and may provide the clip 10′ with sufficient space to accommodate large tissue such as, for example, large blood vessels.

Referring to FIG. 10, a surgical system 200 may comprise an end effector 226 which may extend from a shaft 253 and a clamping member or a clip such as, for example the clip 10 or the Clip 10′. The surgical system 200 is similar to the surgical system 100 in many respects. For example, the surgical system 200 can be powered by the generator 102. In addition, the end effector 226 of the surgical system 200 may comprise a first capturing arm 255 and a second capturing arm 256, wherein the first and second capturing arms 255 and 256 may be similar to the capturing arm 155 of the surgical system 100 in many respects. In certain circumstances, the arm 255 can be held in a fixed position relative to the shaft 253 while the arm 256 can be movable relative to the arm 255 between an open position and a closed position. In other embodiments, the arms 255 and 256 of the end effector 226 can be movable relative to each other between the open position and the closed position in response to actuation motions applied thereto through shaft 253. Furthermore, similar to the end effector 126, the clips 10 or 10′ can be removably positioned between the arms 255 and 256 of the end effector 226. In addition, the surgical system 200 may include an ultrasonic blade 251 which can be energized in a similar fashion to the ultrasonic blade 151 of the surgical system 100. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the ultrasonic blade 251 may be slidably movable relative to the shaft 253 and extendable through an opening at a distal portion of the shaft 253. For example, the shaft 253 may include a lumen 259 extending therethrough which may slidably support the blade 251, as illustrated in FIG. 10. In addition, the lumen 259 may terminate in an opening that may allow the blade 251 to be extended between the capturing arms 255 and 256.

In use, the clip 10, for example, can be positioned in the open configuration between the arms 255 and 256, as illustrated in FIG. 10. The operator may then orient the end effector 226 to position, for example, a blood vessel between the clamping portions 12 and 14 of the clip 10. The operator may then actuate the capturing arms 255 and 256 to overcome the biasing force of the connecting member 16 to motivate the portions 12 and 14 of the clip 10 towards the closed configuration around the captured blood vessel. Upon determining an optimal clamping position around the blood vessel, an operator may actuate the capturing arms 255 and 256 to bring the interlocking members 30 and 32 into a locking engagement around the captured blood vessel. The blade 251 can be extended distally through the lumen 259 until the blade comes in contact with the connecting member 16. The blade may be energized to melt, or at least partially melt, through the connecting member 16 and/or the portions 12 and/or 14 of the clip 10 to seal and/or cut through the captured blood vessel.

Further to the above, the clips 10 and/or 10′, or portions thereof, can be comprised of an implantable biocompatible material which may be melted, or at least partially melted, upon exposure to ultrasonic energy from ultrasonic blades such as, for example, blades 151 and/or 251. In certain embodiments, the clips 10 and/or 10′, or portions thereof, may be comprised from and/or covered with bioabsorbable materials. In certain circumstances, the clips 10 and/or 10′ can be comprised of a combination of one or more materials that melt upon exposure to an energized blade such as, for example, the blade 151 and one or more materials that may not melt upon exposure to the blade 151. In certain circumstances, the clips 10 and/or 10′ may be comprised of a combination of one or more absorbable materials and one or more non-absorbable materials.

Examples of suitable materials for use with the clips or clamping members of the present disclosure such as, for example, the clips 10 and/or 10′ may include but are not limited to platelet poor plasma (PPP), platelet rich plasma (PRP), starch, chitosan, alginate, fibrin, thrombin, polysaccharide, cellulose, collagen, bovine collagen, gelatin-resorcin-formalin adhesive, oxidized cellulose, mussel-based adhesive, poly (amino acid), agarose, amylose, hyaluronan, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), hyaluronic acid, poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), polylactide (PLA), polyglycolide (PGA), polycaprolactone (PCL), and their copolymers, VICRYL® (Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, N.J.), MONOCRYL material, PANACRYL (Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, N.J.), and/or any other material suitable to be mixed with biological material and introduced to a wound or defect site, including combinations of materials. In certain circumstances, the clips 10 and/or 10′, or portions thereof, may comprise a material selected from the following materials: epsilon-caprolactone glycolide, bovine pericardium, polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, polyglactin, polydioxanone, polyglyconate, whey protein, cellulose gum, starch, gelatin, silk, nylon, polypropylene, braided polyester, polybutester, polyethylene, and/or polyetheretherketones, for example. In certain circumstances, the clips 10 and/or 10′ may be partially comprised of non-absorbable materials such as, for example, a metallic material such as, for example, titanium.

Referring to FIG. 11, the surgical system 100 may comprise a sealing member which may be in the shape of block or a cuff such as, for example, cuff 50 which can be removably coupled to the blade 151. The cuff 50 may include a cradle or a slot 52 configured to receive the blade 151. In addition, the cuff 50 may include a tissue contacting surface 51, and a blade contacting surface 53. In use, the blade 151 can be positioned at least partially within the slot 52 of the cuff 50 such that the blade 151 may come in contact with the blade contacting surface 53. As described above, the end effector 126 can be oriented to position tissue such as, for example, a blood vessel between the capturing arm 155 and the blade 151. The capturing arm 155 can then be actuated to capture the blood vessel. The blade 151 can be energized as the capturing arm 155 is actuated thereby transmitting ultrasonic energy to the cuff 50 and the captured blood vessel. The ultrasonic energy from the energized blade 151 may melt, or at least partially melt, through the cuff 50. Melted material from the cuff 50 can enhance the sealing of the captured blood vessel by resolidifying around and/or through the sealed blood vessel. In certain circumstances, the blade 151 is not energized until the capturing arm 155 is actuated.

Similar to the clip 10, the cuff 50, or portions thereof, can be comprised of a biocompatible material which may be melted, or at least partially melted, upon exposure to ultrasonic energy from ultrasonic blades such as, for example, the blades 151 and 251. In certain embodiments, the cuff 50, or portions thereof, can be comprised of and/or covered with a bioabsorbable material. Examples of suitable materials may include but are not limited to platelet poor plasma (PPP), platelet rich plasma (PRP), starch, chitosan, alginate, fibrin, thrombin, polysaccharide, cellulose, collagen, bovine collagen, gelatin-resorcin-formalin adhesive, oxidized cellulose, mussel-based adhesive, poly (amino acid), agarose, amylose, hyaluronan, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), hyaluronic acid, poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), polylactide (PLA), polyglycolide (PGA), polycaprolactone (PCL), and their copolymers, VICRYL® (Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, N.J.), MONOCRYL material, PANACRYL (Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, N.J.), and/or any other material suitable to be mixed with biological material and introduced to a wound or defect site, including combinations of materials. In certain embodiments, the cuff 50, or portions thereof, may comprise a material selected from the following materials: epsilon-caprolactone glycolide, bovine pericardium, polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, polyglactin, polydioxanone, polyglyconate, whey protein, cellulose gum, starch, gelatin, silk, nylon, polypropylene, braided polyester, polybutester, polyethylene, and/or polyetheretherketones, for example. Furthermore, the cuff 50 may further include a plurality of protrusions such as, for example, gripping teeth on the tissue contacting surface 51 to limit tissue slippage when tissue is captured between the capturing arm 155 and the cuff 50. In addition, the cuff 50 may also include gripping teeth on the blade contacting surface 53 to limit slippage of the cuff 50 relative to the blade 151.

In certain circumstances, the sealing member can be comprised of one or more implantable materials. For example, the sealing member can be comprised of a combination of one or more absorbable materials and one or more non-absorbable materials. Furthermore, the sealing member can be comprised of a combination of one or more materials that may melt upon exposure to the energized blade 151 and one or more materials that may not melt upon exposure to the energized blade 151.

Referring now to FIG. 11A, the sealing member can take the shape of a mesh such as, for example, mesh 157 which may be comprised of one or more implantable materials. In certain circumstances, the mesh 157 may be comprised of a non-absorbable material, for example, a metal such as, for example, titanium which can be coated with one or more of the absorbable materials described above. Other means for combining the absorbable materials with the metallic mesh are contemplated by the present disclosure. The energized blade may melt the absorbable material onto the tissue while the metallic core of the mesh 157 may remain intact, or at least substantially intact, to provide structural support for the sealed tissue. In addition, the melted material may improve the adherence between the sealed tissue and the metallic portions of the mesh 157 by resolidifying around and/or through the sealed tissue and/or around the metallic portions of the mesh 157. As illustrated in FIG. 11A, the mesh 157 can be positioned between the capturing arm 155 and the blade 151 of the surgical system 100. As described above, the capturing arm 155 can be actuated to capture tissue against the blade 151. In certain circumstances, the mesh 157 can be positioned against the blade 151 such that the tissue may be captured between the mesh 157 and the capturing arm 155. In other circumstances, the mesh 157 can be positioned against the capturing arm 155 such that the tissue may be captured between the mesh 157 and the blade 151. In other circumstances, as illustrated in FIG. 11A, the mesh 157 can be positioned against the capturing arm 155 and positioned against the blade 151 to permit the mesh 157 to wrap around the captured tissue when the capturing arm 155 is actuated to capture the tissue. In addition, the blade 151 can be energized to melt the absorbable portions of the mesh 157 onto the captured tissue, as described above. Furthermore, the non-absorbable portions of the mesh 157 may wrap around the sealed tissue to provide additional structural support for the sealed tissue.

Referring now to FIG. 11B, the sealing member can take the shape of a tubular member such as, for example, tubular member 171 which may be comprised of one or more implantable materials. The tubular member 171 may include a slit 173 that may extend longitudinally along the length of the tubular member 171, as illustrated in FIG. 11B. The tubular member 171 may be wrapped around the capturing arm 155 and/or the blade 151. The tubular member 171 may be sufficiently flexible to wrap around the capturing arm 155 and the blade 151, as illustrated in FIG. 11B. In certain circumstances, the tubular member 171 may take the form of a mesh or a woven structure.

In use, the tubular member 171 can be bent to accommodate the capturing arm 155 and the blade 151 inside, or at least substantially inside, the tubular member 171, as illustrated in FIG. 11B. The capturing arm 155 and the blade 151 can be inserted into the tubular member 171 through the slit 173. In certain circumstances, tubular member 171 can be positioned around one of the capturing arm 155 and the blade 151. In these circumstances, the tubular member 171 may not include a slit and the capturing arm 155 or the blade 151 may be inserted into the tubular member 171 through a distal opening of the tubular member 171. In any event, upon positioning the tubular member 171 around the capturing arm 155 and/or the blade 151, the capturing arm 155 can be actuated to capture tissue, as described above, and the blade 151 can be energized to melt through the tubular member 171 thereby allowing the melted material of the tubular member 171 to resolidify around and/or through the sealed tissue.

Referring now to FIGS. 12 and 13, a surgical system 300 may comprise an end effector 326 extending from a shaft 353 and a clamping member or a clip such as, for example, the clip 10 or the Clip 10′. The surgical system 300 is similar to the surgical system 100 in many respects. For example, the surgical system 300 can be powered by the generator 102. In addition, the surgical system 300 may include an ultrasonic blade 351 which is similar in many respects to the ultrasonic blade 151. However, as illustrated in FIG. 12, the end effector 326 of the surgical system 300, unlike the end effector 126 of the surgical system 100, may not include a capturing arm. The blade 351 of the of the end effector 326 may be slidably disposed through a tubular member 302 which may include a camming member 304 at a distal portion thereof. The blade 351 can be extended and retracted through a distal opening of the tubular member 302 along a longitudinal axis L-L, as illustrated in FIG. 12. In addition, a clip such as, for example, clip 10 can be positioned onto the blade 351 such that the blade 351 may be at least partially received within the slot 26 of the clamping portion 14, as illustrated in FIG. 14.

In use, the surgical system 300 can be oriented to position tissue such as, for example, a blood vessel between the clamping portions 12 and 14 of the surgical clip 10. The tubular member 302 can then be advanced relative to the blade 351 in direction of the arrow B1 and/or the blade 351 retracted relative to the tubular member 302 in direction of the arrow B2, as illustrated in FIG. 12, which may permit the camming member 304 to exert a compressive force on the clamping portion 12 thereby moving the clamping portion 12 toward a closed configuration with the clamping portion 14. As described above with respect to the blade 151, the blade 351 may be energized to seal and/or cut the captured blood vessel and to melt, or at least partially melt, the clip 10, as illustrated in FIG. 15. In certain embodiments, the blade 351 can be energized while the clamping portion 12 is in motion towards locking engagement with the clamping portion 14 and/or continue being energized thereafter until the blood vessel is sealed. Alternatively, the blade 351 can be energized after the clamping portion 12 has reached locking engagement with the clamping portion 14. The clamping portion 14 and/or the blade 351 may include slippage limiting features to prevent, for example, forward slippage of the clip 10 as the camming member 304 applies the compressive force needed to move the clamping portion 12 toward the clamping portion 14.

In certain embodiments, referring now primarily to FIG. 16, the tubular member 302 may include a flexible distal portion 306. For example, the distal portion 306 may include a plurality of slits 308 that may increase the flexibility of the distal portion 306 to ensure a smooth translation of the blade 351 through the tubular member 302.

The surgical system 100 may include a mounting mechanism for mounting one or more clamping members or clips onto the end effector 126. As illustrated in FIG. 17, the mounting mechanism may include a mounting member 401 which may include mounting arms 402 and 404 which can be mounted onto the capturing arm 155 and the blade 151, respectively. The mounting arms 402 and 404 may be releasably coupled to the capturing arm 155 and the blade 151, for example, by a friction fit. In certain circumstances, the mounting arms 402 and 404 may include interlocking members for releasable locking engagement with corresponding locking members in the capturing arm 155 and the blade 151, respectively.

Further to the above, the mounting arms 402 and 404 can be pivotally movable about a pivot or pin such as, for example, pins 419 (See FIG. 18). In certain circumstances, the mounting arms 402 and 404 can be moved toward each other by simultaneously pressing on actuation portions 414 and 416. In other circumstances, the mounting arms 402 and 404 can be actuated using an independent actuation mechanism (not shown) proximal to the pins 419. In other circumstances, the mounting arm 402, for example, can be movably coupled to the capturing arm 155 such that actuating the capturing arm 155, as described above, may in turn move the mounting arm 402 toward the mounting arm 404.

In any event, the mounting member 401 can be configured to position a first clip 418 on one side of the end effector 126 and a second clip 420 on an opposite side of the end effector 126, as illustrated in FIG. 17, for example. The clips 418 and 420 can be supported by corresponding docking members in the mounting arms 402 and 404. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 17, the clips 418 can be supported by docking members 406 and 410 and the clip 420 can be supported by docking members 408 and 412. In addition, the clips 418 and 420, similar to the clip 10, may include interlocking members 430 and 432. In addition, the clips 418 and 420 can be moved by the mounting arms 402 and 404 between an open configuration (See FIG. 17) and a closed configuration (See FIG. 419), wherein the interlocking member 430 and 432 can be configured to snap into locking engagement when the clips 418 and 420 are moved to the closed configuration. The reader will appreciate that the mounting member 401 and/or the clips 418 and 420 can be manufactured and sterilized separately from the surgical system 100 and assembled by an operator at the time of use. Alternatively, the mounting member 401 and/or the clips 418 and 420 can be manufactured and assembled with the surgical system 100 prior to sterilization. Furthermore, an operator, after deploying the clips 418 and 420 may reload the mounting member 401 with new clips to reuse with the surgical system 100. In certain circumstances, the mounting member 401 can include a clip cartridge (not shown) which may include a plurality of clips that can be deployed sequentially via a deployment mechanism (not shown).

In use, the mounting member 401 can be coupled to the end effector 126, as described above. In addition, the end effector 126 can be positioned around tissue, for example, a large blood vessel. An operator may then move at least one of the mounting arms 402 and 404 toward the other one of the arms 402 and 404 to capture the blood vessel by the clips 418 and 420. The operator may actuate the mounting member to bring the clips 402 and 404 into a reversible intermediate configuration just prior to the locking engagement between interlocking members 430 and 432 which may allow the operator the freedom to reopen the clips 418 and 420 and repeat the actuation of the mounting member 401 until an optimal clamping position around the blood vessel is determined before committing to locking the clips 402 and 404 in the closed configuration.

Upon determining an optimal clamping position around the blood vessel, the operator may actuate the mounting member 401 to bring the interlocking members 430 and 432 of the clips 418 and 420 to a locking engagement around the captured blood vessel. The blade 151 can then be energized to seal and/or cut the blood vessel clamped by the clips 418 and 420. As the energized blade 151 is passed between the closed clips 418 and 420, the blade 151 may melt portions of the clips 418 and 420 which upon resolidifying may improve the locking engagement between the interlocking members 430 and 432 of the clips 418 and 420. In addition, the melted material from the clips 418 and 420 can enhance the tissue seal by resolidifying around and/or through the sealed tissue. As illustrated in FIG. 19, the blood vessel “BV” may be severed by the energized blade 151 between the clips 418 and 420. In addition, the clips 418 and 420 may clamp the severed end portions of the blood vessel “BV”.

Any patent, publication, or other disclosure material, in whole or in part, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein is incorporated herein only to the extent that the incorporated materials does not conflict with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth in this disclosure. As such, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflicting material incorporated herein by reference. Any material, or portion thereof, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein, but which conflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth herein will only be incorporated to the extent that no conflict arises between that incorporated material and the existing disclosure material.

While this invention has been described as having exemplary designs, the present invention may be further modified within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A surgical system, comprising: an end effector, comprising: an ultrasonic blade; and a capturing arm, wherein the capturing arm is movable to capture tissue against the ultrasonic blade; a transducer configured to generate ultrasonic energy for transmission to the ultrasonic blade; and a clamping member removably coupled to the end effector, the clamping member configured to clamp the tissue captured by the capturing arm against the ultrasonic blade.
 2. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the clamping member is configured to be positioned between the capturing arm and the ultrasonic blade
 3. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic blade is configured to melt at least a portion of the clamping member.
 4. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic blade is configured to seal the captured tissue by passing through at least a portion of the clamping member.
 5. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the clamping member comprises a bioabsorbable material.
 6. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the clamping member, comprises: a first portion removably coupled to the ultrasonic blade; and a second portion removably coupled to the capturing arm, wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion is movable to clamp the captured tissue.
 7. The surgical system of claim 6, wherein the clamping member further comprises a locking mechanism configured to lock the first portion to the second portion in a clamped configuration.
 8. The surgical system of claim 7, wherein the clamping member comprises a gap between the first portion and the second portion when the clamping member is in the clamped configuration.
 9. The surgical system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion comprises a living hinge at a distal portion thereof.
 10. A surgical system, comprising: an end effector, comprising: an ultrasonic blade; and a capturing arm, wherein the capturing arm is movable to capture tissue against the ultrasonic blade; a transducer configured to generate ultrasonic energy for transmission to the ultrasonic blade; clamping means for clamping the tissue captured by the capturing arm against the ultrasonic blade; and mounting means removably coupled to the end effector, wherein the mounting means are configured to mount the clamping means to the end effector.
 11. The surgical system of claim 10, wherein the clamping means is removably coupled to the mounting means.
 12. The surgical system of claim 10, wherein the ultrasonic blade is configured to melt at least a portion of the clamping means.
 13. The surgical system of claim 10, wherein the ultrasonic blade is configured to seal the captured tissue by passing through at least a portion of the clamping means.
 14. The surgical system of claim 10, wherein the clamping means comprises a bioabsorbable material.
 15. A surgical system, comprising: an elongate member comprising a camming member at a distal portion of the elongate member; an ultrasonic blade slidably movable relative to the elongate member and extendable beyond the distal portion of the elongate member; a transducer configured to generate ultrasonic energy for transmission to the ultrasonic blade; and a surgical clip removably coupled to the ultrasonic blade, wherein the camming member is configured to motivate the surgical clip to clamp tissue.
 16. The surgical system of claim 15, wherein the ultrasonic blade is configured to melt at least a portion of the surgical clip.
 17. The surgical system of claim 15, wherein the surgical clip comprises a bioabsorbable material.
 18. The surgical system of claim 15, wherein the surgical clip comprises: a first clamping portion removably coupled to the ultrasonic blade; and a second clamping portion movably supported by the camming member to clamp the tissue between the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion.
 19. The surgical system of claim 18, wherein the surgical clip further comprises a locking mechanism configured to lock the first clamping portion to the second clamping portion in a clamped configuration.
 20. The surgical system of claim 19, wherein the surgical clip comprises a gap between the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion when the surgical clip is in the clamped configuration.
 21. A surgical system, comprising: an end effector, comprising: an ultrasonic blade; and a capturing arm, wherein the capturing arm is movable to capture tissue against the ultrasonic blade; a transducer configured to generate ultrasonic energy for transmission to the ultrasonic blade; and a sealing member removably coupled to the end effector, the sealing member configured to seal the tissue captured by the capturing arm against the ultrasonic blade by at least partially melting onto the tissue captured by the capturing arm. 